Still The One
by lovesrainscent
Summary: A masked Halloween party allows everyone to release their inhibitions. The original Ino/Shika/Cho team and their dates attend a costumed Halloween couples party and observe the debauched behavior of the younger Konoha shinonbi. Supreme silliness.


**Title:** **Still The One**

**Pairing:** **Shikaku/Yoshino**

**Rating:**** M  
**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Narurto and do not stand to make any profit from posting this story. Also, I do not own the DC comics universe.

**Summary: ** A masked Halloween party allows _everyone_ to release their inhibitions. The original Ino/Shika/Cho team and their dates attend a costumed Halloween couples party and observe the debauched behavior of the younger Konoha shinonbi. Supreme silliness inspired by Momopink and Jan Lee. Thanks for letting me play in your sandbox, ladies! ** NOTE:** If you have not read Jan Lee's "Jungle Life: Kiba and Ino Style" or Momopink's "Shika Hood: Man in Tights" (posted under Jan Lee's account) then this story will NOT make sense. Read those two first. This is a fanfic of those two stories. LOL. Enjoy. (Completely seasonally inappropriate, I know. I started this over a year ago and just now finished it )

**Still The One**

"Oh, no!" Yoshino wailed from the walk-in closet. She held up the shiny red and green garment to the light as if unable to believe her eyes. "Oh, NO!" she repeated for emphasis.

"What's wrong?" Shikaku asked from the other side of the closet door, as he fastened the belt of his own costume around his waist, adjusting it a little lower onto his hips. He looked at himself in the mirror and chuckled. Now he needed to add the cape and...

"This!" Yoshino snapped in a murderous rage as she emerged from the closet and shook the costume threateningly at him. "_This_ is what's wrong. I'm going to _kill_ Inoichi!"

"Why?" Shikaku sighed, having lost track of the number of times his wife had threatened to kill his best friend over the years.

"This..this...this travesty," she spluttered, shaking the garment directly in front of his face this time. "It's got a skirt! What the hell is _Robin_ supposed to be doing wearing a skirt?"

Shikaku smiled as he turned to pick up his mask and cowl, drawing them over his head. It had been Yoshino's idea to go to this party, or rather hers and Tsume's jointly. To see her uncomfortable when faced with the prospect of donning her own costume of choice seemed somehow to be poetic justice. His voice was slightly muffled as the mask was not adjusted properly when he responded, "I don't know, wasn't the fourth Robin a girl anyway? You can just be her."

"The fourth Robin? The _fourth_ Robin? We're all going as Silver Age DC Universe superhero characters. There is no _fourth_ Robin. None of that ret-conned post-80s era crap! Inoichi is so dead. He did this on purpose, I know he did! I should have gone as Black Canary!"

"Tsume's Black Canary," Shikaku responded, speaking more clearly now that the mask was fitted correctly. He reached for the cape lying on the bed and draped it around his back, fastening it at the shoulders.

"Tsume could've been Catwoman and I could have gone as Black Canary!"

"Tsume as _Cat_woman? You've got to be joking," Shikaku said with a laugh. He tugged on the gauntlets and gloves then turned to face his wife. "How do I look?"

"You look...you look...wow," Yoshino momentarily forgot her rage as she admired the darkly clad Caped Crusader standing in front of her. The tight tunic showed off his finely muscled torso, detailed utility belt accented his waist and narrow hips. The mask that covered so much of his face gave him a mysterious detached air and the cape that swept elegantly to the floor seemed almost as if it were made for him to enfold her in it and sweep her away, over the rooftops back to the Bat Cave.

"Holy Moly Batman, you look awesome," she added with a giggle. "But you're Dark Knight Batman, not Silver Age batman. Your costume... it's all black. But, it_ is_ fantastic," she emphasized.

"Well, at least it's from the same era as yours," he pointed out. "So what if we're not Silver Age Batman and Robin, so what if we're modern-era Batman and the fourth Robin. We're still Batman and Robin. We belong together."

"True," she said with pursed lips, studying him carefully. "There's just one other thing..."

Shikaku ran one hand along his chin. "The beard, huh? Think I should shave it?"

"Yeah the beard, it's...wait. No! Don't shave it, it's just that..."

"Batman doesn't have a beard."

"Yeah, well," she said with a shrug, "Batman doesn't have a beard and Robin doesn't wear a skirt but I guess...tonight they do." With her own sigh of resignation she returned to the closet to finish changing. Looking at the plain black cloth she'd planned to use to bind her breasts flat in preparation for dressing like a twelve year old boy for the evening she realized that wasn't an option with the current costume. Not only had Inoichi purchased the female Robin costume he had made it a point to purchase the "adult sexy female Robin" costume. Terrific. She should have checked the box earlier.

She went back to her bedroom. Shikaku had obviously already gone downstairs to have a beer while waiting on her to finish getting ready. Yoshino rummaged around in her lingerie drawer and then pulled out the black bra she was looking for. Well, why not? When else was she going to wear it?

Stepping back into her dressing area she adjusted the bra and put it on. Then she slid the shiny red and green dress over her body, smoothing out the fabric along her waist, over her hips. Her hands skimmed over the cool satin, feeling it slick beneath her fingertips. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

She went back to her bedroom to survey herself in the mirror. Oh my! The slit hadn't _seemed_ that high but looking at her reflection it was almost high enough to see...Well, why not? After all, it was Halloween. When else was she ever going to wear anything like this? Why the heck not?

Sitting down in a chair she drew on the long black boots zipping them snugly up each calf. Then she fastened her own yellow belt at her waist and the short shiny yellow cape at her shoulders. Lastly she pulled on the blond wig and the diamond shaped mask over her eyes.

There.

She was Robin.

Sort of.

The fourth Robin, the female Robin, the short-lived Robin to her husband's Batman. She was 'adult sexy female Robin.' And she had to admit, turning to admire herself in the mirror, she didn't look bad at all. The cut of the dress accentuated her own narrow waist and the flair of the skirt began at her hips just right. The sparkling red top was cut low, very low, it was a good thing the black bra was a plunge demi after all, anything else and the black lace would have been visible.

Oddly enough, she thought, the sexiest part was the bare skin of her arms. The green cap sleeves were very short ending just below her shoulders. But the long green fingerless gloves came up above her elbows, making the bare skin of her upper arms seem...enticing somehow. All in all the look wasn't bad on her at all. Maybe it wasn't _really_ Robin but still it ...worked for her.

One last turn in front of the mirror and she noted another benefit. The high heeled boots of _this_ Robin costume tipped her ass up in fairly fetching manner, much better than those green little booties that came with the _real _Robin costume.

Satisfied, she turned out the light of their bedroom and descended the stairs.

"So how do I look, Batman?" she asked, striking a pose at the bottom of the stairs with her hands on her hips, short cape slung rakishly over one shoulder. Just for effect, she took a deep breath, noting how her own breasts strained against the clingy red fabric of the tunic.

If Shikaku hadn't had the mask on, she imagined she would have seen one eyebrow cocked characteristically skyward as he looked at her with surprise and admiration and...something else. "Damn, Yoshino, you look..."

She never did get to hear exactly how she looked to him as they were interrupted by a knock at the door. "I'll get it," Shikaku announced, setting his beer bottle on the counter and going to open the kitchen door to greet their friends.

Inoichi Yamanaka dressed as the Green Arrow in tunic, leggings, and jaunty cap complete with bow and quiver entered, accompanied by Tsume Inuzuki in the sleek black bustier, short crop jacket, fishnet stockings and pirate boots of the Black Canary. Tsume's blond wig looked surprisingly similar to Yoshino's who now scowled in annoyance at the Emerald Archer in front of her. Yoshino wouldn't even be wearing a wig at all if Inoichi hadn't screwed up her costume. This was all _his _fault.

"Wow, Yoshino, you look hot," Inoichi blurted out, "That costume really suits you. I'm a little confused though, I thought..."

It was Inoichi's turn to be interrupted as Shikaku, unasked, thrust a cold beer into his friend's hand. "Have a drink," he said, diverting the Battling Bowman's attention away from his wife, specifically his wife''s cleavage. "Tsume, how about you?"

"Eh, yeah, sure, Shikaku, I'll have a beer," the "Blond" Bombshell responded, reaching out a gloved hand to accept the offered bottle.

The four superheroes stood in the Nara kitchen regarding each other dubiously.

"Where's Chouza?" Shikaku finally asked.

"Oh, Ayame doesn't get off work until the ramen shop closes up. He's picking her up at nine and they'll meet us there," Tsume replied.

Both male shinobi paused with their beers halfway to their mouth. "Ayame?" Shikaku finally managed to ask. "Isn't he...isn't she...?"

"Isn't he robbing the cradle, is that what you're trying to ask, Shikaku?" Inoichi teased his friend.

"Well, yeah," Shikaku said with a smile and a shrug. "Little bit?"

"Oh, come on," Yoshino swatted her husband's arm, "It's just a Halloween party. It's good for him to get out and start seeing someone, finally. Now, am I the only one you're not going to offer a beer?"

"Sorry," he replied, going to the refrigerator and procuring another bottle for his wife. "What are their costumes?"

"Oh, Clark Kent and Lois Lane" Inoichi answered.

Another pregnant pause as the four spandex clad friends realized that somehow their other compatriot would be meeting them in a business suit, glasses and a hat while his date would be wearing a demure forties-style dress, stylish cap and practical pumps, possibly accessorized with a notebook and fountain pen.

"How'd he manage that?" grumbled Shikaku from beneath the Batman mask and cowl.

"Well, they were going as Superman and Lois Lane, but Chouza couldn't do anything with his hair. So he's going as Clark Kent and stuffing it all up under that reporter's hat," Inoichi answered.

"Terrific," muttered the elder shadow ninja as he finished his beer.

The other three soon downed their drinks as well and finally Tsume voiced what was on all their minds. "So, er, is it about time to go...to the party?"

Reluctantly they all agreed that it was indeed time to depart. The gentle clink of bottles as they were placed on the counter was the last sound before they trooped out in silence into the brisk October night. Leaves skittered in the wind in front of them and crunched under booted feet as they made their way to the party location.

As they approached the building where the party was being held, they could hear the music blaring from a good distance away. Hand on the door, Inoichi turned back to look at his group as if for reassurance then shrugged, smiled and opened the door.

They were greeted with a wall of sound from the music blaring out into the night. Tsume feigned covering her ears with her gloved hands then grinned and ducked in through the open door that Inoichi was holding for them. Shikaku and Yoshino followed suit.

"I dunno know about this, Batman," Yoshino whispered and giggled as with eyes wide she surveyed the writhing mass of bodies on the dance floor.

"Remember, Yoshino," he whispered back, "This was _your_ idea."

The place was packed, literally packed with shinobi in a wide variety of costumes. Out of the corner of one eye, Yoshino thought she saw another Green Arrow but her attention was quickly caught by someone waving frantically to them from a distant corner. Somehow a booming baritone voice managed to carry all the way across the room to them. "Shikaku! Inoichi! Over HERE!" Chouza smiled and frantically motioned his friends over to the table he and Ayame were holding down.

"Chouza!" Inoichi almost shouted back with relief as they waded through the crowd. Shikaku had his hand at the small of Yoshino's back as he steered her toward the table. The crowd was particularly thick outside the men's room door and they had to weave around the line there and snake back toward Chouza's corner.

"Ladies," Inoichi said as he pulled a chair out with a flourish for Tsume then Yoshino. They sank down gratefully and turned to survey the raucous crowd as the three teammates chatted as best they could over the roar. Briefly they all admired each other's costumes, the four newcomers undeniably envious of the rather comfortable looking clothes that Chouza and Ayame were in.

"Chouza, dude, I thought you wouldn't be here until later?" Inoichi said, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Yeah, well, the ramen shop closed early - no business. Apparently, everyone in Konoha must be_ here _tonight," Chouza answered. He rose and turned to the table, "C'mon guys, let's get these ladies some drinks."

After determining what each of their dates wanted from the bar, the three men made their way back across the room, the passage this time made much easier as Chouza cleared the way for them with a hearty round of "Coming through, coming through," as he brushed younger ninja aside.

Waiting at the bar for their order, Shikaku asked his red-haired friend, "So, see anybody you recognize here tonight?"

Chouza laughed out loud, "Hard to tell with most of them. I did see Hatake here with Kurenai. He's the Scarecrow and she's dressed up like Dorothy if you can believe that. Complete with gingham and braids and a little basket that she's carrying that pug of his around in. And Ibiki's here with Anko, they're Belle and the Beast I believe, Ibiki's being a good sport about that, not really a costume, just taking off his head covering."

"A good sport? Whipped, you mean," Shikaku said with a smile as he picked up his two drinks that the bartended had just set in front of him.

"Err, yeah, that too," Chouza said as he looked askance at his two other friends and wondered if he should point out that the two of them were here in spandex for crying out loud.

The remaining four drinks arrived and they tipped the bartender then tried to navigate the room once more. If possible the crowd was even worse outside the men's room than before. A very flustered Naruto and Sakura appeared to be at the head of the line.

"What's going on there?" Inoichi yelled back at Shikaku. "Is the women's room out of order or something?"

Shikaku just shook his head and gave a long-suffering sigh at his friend's comment. "Yamanaka, you are _such _an idiot," he groused. "Sheesh. It's not been _that _long..."

Inoichi's eyes widened. "It's _THAT_ bathroom! Is that it? The one with the...?"

Shikaku just nodded, smirking himself to see how his friend's eyes sparkled with glee. As they manuevered their way back to their respective seats, Inoichi leaned over and announced loudly to Chouza, "It's _THAT_ bathroom!"

Chouza laughed and shook his head, then reached to straighten his hat before his long red hair could escape its confines. Ayame helped him tuck errant strands back under. Inoichi seated himself between Ayame and Tsume with Chouza to his date's right. Yoshino sat next to Tsume with Shikaku to her own left. "What bathroom?" Tsume asked Yoshino, leaning toward her so that their blond wigs became entangle. "What does he mean?"

Yoshino brushed acrylic strands of fake-blondness back from her face. "What do you mean 'what bathroom'? " she paused then looked at her best friend. Smirking she continued, "Let's just say the sink's cold on your ass."

"What's that Yoshino?" Inoichi leered as he leaned toward her, squashing Tsume in between the two of them. "What secrets are you sharing with my date?"

"I told her the sink's cold _as ice_, Inoichi _dear_," she responded smiling sweetly at him. "If you ever have to use it, like when the ladies room is out of order... or something."

Inoichi looked puzzled. That _sounded_ like what he'd heard, but then again ... not. But it wasn't worth worrying over. The many times christened bathroom was still providing good service after all these years. That deserved a toast or something.

"To bathrooms," he announced to the table, raising his glass of beer in salute.

Bemused, the rest of the table raised their own glasses, Chouza and Shikaku echoing the salute while Yoshino merely held her glass aloft and rolled her eyes.

Taking a large gulp of beer from his glass, Inoichi saluted again. "To bathroom sex." That got a cautious "Here here" from guys and titters of laughter from Ayame and Tsuma. Yoshino just shook her head and smirked. Nothing the blond fluffball said or did surprised her anymore. Maybe she would forgive him for the costume debacle after all.

After the couple of hearty swallows following the toasts, Shikaku could see that the levels in the glasses were already lowered precipitously. "Tell you what, he said, "Looks like everyone's drinking beer, there seems to be a break in the crowd at the moment, why don't I just go bring a couple of pitchers back." Since his suggestion was received with general approval Shikaku left once again for the bar.

Meanwhile Inoichi was fairly bouncing up and down in his seat his eyes riveted to the door. He reminded Yoshino of a kid in line for a summer blockbuster movie - hardly able to wait to see what was going to be revealed.

"I can't believe it, " he finally said with glee looking back and forth between Chouza and Yoshino. "The good old bathroom." Then in a singsong voice he added, "Somebody's getting lucky. Somebody's getting nookie. Somebody's getting lai..."

Before he could finish the sentence Shikaku returned with the pitchers. As he was refilling glasses the bathroom door opened. He stepped back so that the rest of his party could get a good look, the last thing he wanted to do was to interfere with Inoichi's view of the festivities. There was a whispered chorus of 'who is it', 'do we know them' and 'I can't see' followed by an absolute hush that fell over the table.

Shikaku turned and looked over his shoulder at the couple exiting the bathroom. His eyes widened and he nearly dropped the pitcher of beer.

"Is that...is that.._.Kiba_?" Tsume spluttered and nearly choked. "Is he _wearing_ anything?"

Yoshino's eyes saucered, "Yes, he's wearing...a ...loincloth I think...Sort of..." She cleared her throat. "Well, err, he's certainly...filled out, Tsume."

"I'll say," Ayame whispered in agreement.

If the sight of the nearly naked Kiba had the women's attention it couldn't hold a candle to the men's eyes riveted on the young woman following him out of the bathroom. Like her partner she was clothed but just barely. The leopard print fabric that was tied across her chest was so low she fairly threatened to pop from the confines at any moment. The effect on male eyes was mesmerizing. All except for one particular male.

"Fucking hell!" Inoichi roared, yanking his hat off and slamming it on the table as he started to rise threateningly from it. "I'm dragging her little ass home this instant!" Chouza quickly reached over and clamped one hand down hard on his friend's shoulder, forcing him back down into the seat.

"Settle down, Inoichi," Shikaku ordered their friend. "You know she and Kiba have been together for a while now. Hell, they live in the same apartment! What'd you think they were doing - knitting?"

The blond picked up his hat then slammed it down on the table again. "Yes but she's nearly naked...in public...and she's just had sex... in a _bathroom_," he whined then picked up his glass and downed the rest of his beer, motioning huffily for Shikaku to refill it.

The women, too, were having difficulty keeping their eyes averted from Ino's heaving bosom, but for an entirely different reason. Their attention was focused slightly above the girl's cleavage at the crimson blush that spread across her fair chest. Finally Yoshino broke their silence. "Well," she said drolly, turning to look at Tsume. "Can't fake that."

Ayame tittered faintly and agreed.

After a stunned moment more of silence with her mouth moving slightly but no sound coming out, Tsume was finally able to whisper. "Nope. Can't fake that."

Yoshino gave her best friend a quirky little smile then raised her own glass. "Good boy, Kiba."

At that Tsume laughed heartily and raised her own glass, clinking it against Yoshino's. "Good boy, Kiba," she agreed. The rest of the table joined in except for Inoichi. He just sulked.

Turning from Tsume to once again to survey the crowd, Yoshino caught sight of the second Green Arrow she had glimpsed earlier. He seemed familiar. With a start she realized that it _wasn't_ Green Arrow at all but rather someone dressed up as Robin Hood. And that someone was her own son Shikamaru. Smiling she recognized the Maid Marian beside him was Temari. Her wistful smile that began as she thought tenderly of young love was instantly replaced by the feeling of icicles in her blood as she realized they were heading toward_ the _bathroom.

Oh, dear God, she thought to herself, she wasn't going to sit here and watch...and wait...and _know.._.

Talon-like she dug her nails into her husband's thigh.

"What the hell? Yoshino, what's wrong?" he demanded.

"Let me out," she hissed, trying to scramble over his lap and leave before anyone else noticed.

"What is wrong!" he reiterated, staring at her dumbfounded.

"I...I just need to get out. Come on, let's go home," she urged scampering in an ungainly fashion as she tried to continue her swift exit while still glancing over her shoulder to see if her friends had recognized the couple heading in the appointed direction.

Her husband looked out on the crowd to see Shikamaru and Temari and chuckled. "Oh, come on Yoshino, you teased your own best friend about it..."

"I _know_," she whined plaintively, "But she _didn't_ know. We only recognized them.._.after_. And I...we...I'm not going to sit here and..."

"I'll ask you the same question I asked Inoichi," he whispered laughing softly against her, his beard tickling against her cheek, "what did you_ think_ they were doing - knitting?"

"It's_ not _the same thing," she hissed back. "_Knowing_ what they're dong back home in their apartment is _not_ the same as knowing that they're doing it right there in...in...practically in public!" By now she had managed to squirm her way onto his lap, her feet dangling over his legs to the outside, mere inches from her escape.

If she had been worried about Inoichi and the crowd noticing where Shikamaru and Temari were headed, she need not have bothered. Inoichi's attention was instantly captured by her wiggling across her husband's lap. He made an off-color congratulatory comment to Shikaku and raised his beer in salute.

"Well, you know what they say, Inoichi, the female is ready when she is ready. The male must be ready at all times." Konoha's jounin commander laughed and shifted to allow Yoshino to sidle past to stand on the floor outside the booth then he stood up accompanying her. Yoshino blushed furiously and glared at her husband.

"I, um, I'm not feeling well," she spluttered, both furious and relieved as she caught sight of the bathroom door shutting behind her son and his girlfriend. At least no one else at the table had noticed who the next couple was. "Come on, Shikaku, I need to go home."

Inoichi laughed and winked. _ "Riiight."_

Concerned, Tsume asked her friend, "Yoshino, are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm...I'll be fine," she floundered anxiously as Shikaku threw down some bills to cover their part of the tab. Swooping his cape he put one arm around her and then ushered her to the door.

Stepping out into the bracing night air was like stepping into another world. The sudden quiet from the raucous sound of the music inside was eerily comforting. The only sounds as they walked along were their soft booted footsteps on Konoha's cobblestoned streets. As the music faded out behind them, a few owls hooted overheard but other than that all was calm. Yoshino who had been leaning against Shikaku, warm beneath his cape, straightened a little bit and let her gloved hand slip into his. They walked on like this hand in hand for a few blocks until she finally relaxed and started giggling.

"Yes, dear?" Shikaku smirked at her in the moonlight.

"The two of them... and Kiba and Ino...dear god, Shikaku, we were never like that were we?"

"Like what? Horny?"

She swatted him. "That's not what I meant. I mean...that.._.daring._ You know. Out in public...like that."

"Yoshino," the dark-haired elder Nara pointed out to her matter-of-factly. "The_ reason _you're so embarrassed is that you remember that _we_ did do it in that exact club."

In the darkness she could feel the heat of the blush rise to her cheeks again. "I know," she laughed and shook her head, looking down at her feet as they walked along.

Shikaku swooped his cape around her once again and turned them into a little side alley. Backing her up lightly against the stone wall he leaned down and kissed her and murmured against her, "And if my son's half as smart as they tell me he is, he'll still be doing it with the same girl twenty years from now."

Draping her arms around his shoulders she pulled herself up against him. "And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Shikaku slid his own hands down her body, dipping in at her waist to come to rest on her hips pulling her against him. "It means for me you were the hottest girl there tonight."

"Don't be ridiculous. What about Tsume with that fishnet and the bustier?" Yoshino scoffed slightly.

"She looked good," he agreed kissing her cheek and nibbling at her earlobe.

"Did you see Sakura?"

"Adorable," he murmured moving down to plant warm kisses along her neck.

"Ino? How could any male in Konoha possibly not find Ino hot tonight?"

Raising his face to hers and kissing her properly before answering her question he responded. "A. I changed her diapers. B. Inoichi would kill me. Unless C., you killed me first. Besides, I didn't say the other ladies weren't hot, just that you were the hottest. I like the outfit." He let one gloved hand trail down her thigh sliding it up underneath her skirt.

Yoshino sighed and swayed into him. "So," she chuckled, "Is that your batarang or are you just happy to see me Batman?"

"I am_ quite_ happy to see you Robin. Especially in your skirt and boots and that lovely neckline on your blouse." He traced once gloved finger down between her breasts.

Yoshino paused. "Shikaku. Inoichi didn't pick up the costumes, did he?"

Shikaku sighed himself. "Is it that obvious? It's just that you said Batman and Robin. And Robin is a teenage boy. And you my dear," he ran his hand over her body again, "are most definitely_ not_ a teenage boy. Besides, I hoped to disabuse you of any yaoi fangirlish ideas you have about the dynamic duo."

"They are _so_ a couple and you know it."

"Yoshino, I'm a guy. And no, I do_ not _know any such thing. I do not _want_ to know any such thing. I do know however, that this particular Robin costume I like. A lot."

She frowned just a little bit then smiled. "Really? I have to admit, once I got it on, I liked it too. I was hoping you'd notice."

"Notice? Hell woman, how could I not notice. When you came downstairs and then he knocked at the door ...trust me, I've cursed Inoichi a lot over the years and that was just one more time. If only he'd been a few more minutes later..."

"A few minutes?" Yoshino arched an eyebrow upward accusingly. "Ah ah ah, where's that famed bat-stamina Batman? I'm expecting a lot more than a few minutes when you get me back to the Bat Cave."

"Who says we're going to the Bat Cave?" Shikaku murmured, leaning to kiss her long and hard.

"Who's there?" a young male voice called out.

Yoshino yipped and ducked her head down. Shikaku swooped his cloak around her and turned to face their unwelcome guest.

"Yes?" he answered.

"Oh. Excuse me, C-c-command ...Nara. Sir." the young genin replied. Shikaku felt sorry for the poor kid. Everyone else in Konoha was having a good time tonight and he was one of the unlucky ones on guard duty. The boy cleared his throat. "Is everything okay, sir?"

Shikaku winced as Yoshino bit his bicep to keep from laughing out loud. She shook against him from the effort of not laughing. He gave the boy a stern look and said. "Everything's fine. Carry on.._.citizen."_

"Yes sir," the boy said and quickly scurried away.

Yoshino was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her eyes. "Citizen! Shikaku - you scared the kid."

"Good," Shikaku grumbled looking at the giggling woman in his arms. "He just ruined my chances of having back-alley sex with my wife."

"Poor thing." She patted his face with her own gloved hand. "But get me back to the Bat Cave and I promise to make it up to you."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

As they continued home hand in hand, Yoshino said, "I wonder what the rest of them are up to tonight?"

Meanwhile, back at the club, a green gloved fist hit the bathroom door in front of Lee just as he and Tenten moved up in the line.

"Sorry, squirt," Inoichi said as he swept Tsume inside. "Pulling rank and cutting line."

The end.

Happy Halloween and Merry Christmas to all!

_**A/N: **Trivia time - Shikaku as Batman should be pretty obvious. But quick, who can be the first one to tell me why Inoichi dressed up as the Green Arrow?_

_Sorry for such delay on my 12-fics-challenge-to-myself but I fell down the stairs and broke my arm. :-( I was trying to thwart my own kyuubi attack. Seriously - there was a fox trying to get into my henhouse. The chickens are fine but I have a fractured elbow. It's difficult to type with one hand and the percocet makes me pretty loopy when I'm not downright sleepy. Anyway, this was obviously one that was sitting around on my hard drive for a while waiting for me to finish it. So better late than never. Enjoy._


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